Funding Will Advance Employees’ Technical Skills to Improve Building Efficiency, Reduce Energy Costs and Decrease Harmful Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Supports New York State’s Clean Energy Standard for 50 Percent of Electricity to Come from Renewables By 2030
New York, NY – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $4.2 million is available to support programs providing training to building operations and maintenance workers on best practices to reduce energy use and energy bills in buildings across the state. The funding will advance the state’s goal to transition to 50 percent renewables by 2030 and reduce energy use in buildings by 23 percent over 1990 levels.
“This training is a win-win that will help businesses lower operating costs, reduce energy use and help New York fight climate change,” Governor Cuomo said. “With this funding, we are taking one more step toward a cleaner, greener and more sustainable New York for all.”
The funding is part of a broader statewide effort under the Clean Energy Fund to offer customized technical assistance to increase energy efficiency and drive greater use of renewable energy resources in commercial, industrial, multifamily and institutional buildings, and schools. This training will help advance the state’s clean energy efforts because as energy use is reduced in buildings, fewer renewable energy resources will be needed to reach the 50 percent renewables goal.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, building owners can save five to 20 percent on their energy bills annually by implementing operations and maintenance best practices. Best practices include requiring an energy management plan with energy-efficient operation as a primary component and using an energy accounting system to locate savings opportunities and track and measure the success of energy efficient strategies.
The $4.2 million Building Operations and Maintenance Workforce Training Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, targets the workforce at the following: multifamily housing, office buildings, retail facilities, colleges and universities, hospitals and health care facilities, state and local government buildings, not-for-profit and private institutions, industrial facilities and public and private K-12 schools. To be eligible for the funding, buildings or groups of buildings must have total annual energy expenditures of $1 million.
This funding will support the following training initiatives:
- On-site training laboratories
- Curriculum development
- Coaching/mentorships
- Apprenticeships
- Internships
- Training trainers within a company
- Partnerships with manufacturers
Workforce development and training also have the potential to lead to higher wages, advancement and national certification for workers.
New York State Energy and Finance Chairman Richard Kauffman said, “A skilled workforce plays a critical role in our path to reduce costs, cut emissions and meet the Governor’s aggressive 50 percent by 2030 renewables commitment. Under Reforming the Energy Vision, New York is driving progress to meet our energy and climate goals for a clean energy future.”
NYSERDA President and CEO John B. Rhodes said, “Creating jobs and helping expand New York’s building operations and maintenance workforce is critical to Governor Cuomo’s strategy to create a robust clean energy economy. With investments like these, New York continues to ensure we are driving toward a cleaner, resilient and affordable energy system.”
There are currently more than 120,000 people employed in building operations and maintenance-related occupations across the State, including facilities and property managers; operating and stationary engineers; technicians; building superintendents; maintenance workers; mechanics and supervisors; electricians; HVAC technicians; procurement staff; facility coordinators; and energy/sustainability managers. Approximately 20 percent of the building operations and maintenance workforce is expected to retire over the next five years.
The Building Operations and Maintenance Workforce Training Program is part of the State’s $7 million Workforce Development and Training effort under the Clean Energy Fund to identify skills needed by workers; inform state and private investments in skills and talent development; develop skills for career advancement; and develop the training infrastructure needed to better link workers with jobs in the state.
Applications will be accepted for qualified initiatives through April 27, 2017, or until the funding is exhausted. More information on this funding opportunity is available here.
An informational webinar for potential applicants to learn more about the opportunity will be held on February 23, 2017. Applicants who intend to participate can email wfinfo (at) nyserda.ny (dot) gov with the subject line ‘PON 3442 Applicant Webinar’ and information on how to participate will be provided.
About the Clean Energy Fund
The 10-year, $5.3 billion Clean Energy Fund is a core component of New York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to achieve a clean, resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. It is designed to deliver on New York State’s commitment to reduce ratepayer collections, drive economic development, and accelerate the use of clean energy and energy innovation. It includes a focused effort to bring more clean energy opportunities and benefits to low- to moderate-income communities throughout the State. The Clean Energy Fund supports the aggressive Clean Energy Standard of 50 percent of the state’s electricity coming from renewable energy resources by 2030.
About Reforming the Energy Vision
Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) is Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s strategy to lead on climate change and grow New York’s economy. REV is building a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers by stimulating investment in clean technologies like solar, wind, and energy efficiency and generating 50 percent of the state’s electricity needs from renewable energy by 2030. Already, REV has driven 600 percent growth in the statewide solar market, enabled over 105,000 low-income households to permanently cut their energy bills with energy efficiency, and created thousands of jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and other clean tech sectors. REV is ensuring New York State reduces statewide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and achieves the internationally-recognized target of reducing emissions 80 percent by 2050. To learn more about REV, including the Governor’s $5 billion investment in clean energy technology and innovation, please visit www.ny.gov/REV4NY and follow us @Rev4NY.
